Depression…There is Hope-Utah County

Most people are familiar with their fluctuations in mood, experiencing a variety of emotions daily. Sometimes, they can get stuck experiencing one emotion or a cocktail of negative emotions like sadness, emptiness, or hopelessness. This experience is called depression. It can last a few weeks to months, even years. It is expected that everyone will experience at least a short period of depression in their lifetime. However, there is hope and you don’t have to go through it alone.

Some symptoms of depression are fatigue, insomnia or hypersomnia (sleeping much more than usual), noticeable restlessness or unusual slowness, feelings of worthlessness, excessive guilt, thoughts of suicide, sudden weight gain or loss, changes in appetite, and depressed mood. Not every individual will experience depression the same way and may have only a few of these symptoms and/or additional symptoms.

Depression disorders are determined by the duration of symptoms. Major Depressive Disorder is characterized by symptoms that persist for most days of two weeks. Persistent Depressive Disorder is characterized by symptoms that persist for at least two years (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Even if you feel you do not meet the requirements for a diagnosis, therapy is available for you.

Research indicates that therapy is effective for treating all kinds of adult depression, whether it be short or long term, postpartum, or occurring with bereavement (Cujjpers, 2017). This is true for all forms of therapy that include human support (i.e. not relying solely on self-help resources). Basically, no matter how you reach out you will be receiving effective treatment. The hardest part is finding courage to do so.

Here at Whole Person Counseling, we believe in your ability to overcome depression. Begin your journey to become complete today. We are conveniently located in Utah County.

Cuijpers. (2017). Four decades of outcome research on psychotherapies for adult depression: An overview of a series of meta-Analyses. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne. doi:10.1037/cap0000096.